Magic Offense Struggles Mightily in Game 1 Loss vs. Cavs

The Orlando Magic had arguably their worst offensive performance of the season in their Game 1 loss to the Cleveland Cavaliers to kickstart the 2024 NBA Playoffs.

CLEVELAND — The Orlando Magic are going back to the drawing board after a 97-83 loss to the Cleveland Cavaliers on Saturday afternoon inside RocketMortgage Fieldhouse.

The Magic were welcomed to the playoffs with a rude awakening amidst the Cleveland crowd and the team found itself down early after the Cavs made their first five 3-pointers.

Eventually, the Magic defense was able to catch up, and they held the Cavs to just two more 3-pointers for the rest of the afternoon. However, the offense remained sluggish throughout the game.

As a team, the Magic shot 32.6 percent from the field and an abysmal 21.6 percent from beyond the 3-point line. The team also struggled at the charity stripe, making just 19 of 30 free throws.

Paolo Banchero led the way for the Magic with a team-high 24 points. Franz Wagner, Jonathan Isaac and Moe Wagner joined him in double figures.

For the Cavs, Donovan Mitchell led all scorers with 30 points while Evan Mobley and Jarrett Allen each notched a double-double.

The Magic showed flashes of a team that is capable of competing in the playoffs, especially on the defensive end. However, if they can't make their shots, they could find themselves down and out of this series very quickly.

The Magic and Cavs are back in action for Game 2 of the series on Monday night. Tipoff is scheduled for 7 p.m. ET.

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